The Battle of Clachnaharry, c. 1454: The Roadside Monument
At a glance
| Date | c. 1454 (disputed) |
| War | Munro vs Mackintosh / Clan Chattan |
| Where | Clachnaharry, on the edge of Inverness |
| Winner | Clan Munro (by tradition) |
| Loser | Clan Mackintosh (contested) |
| Noted for | the 1821 clan monument |
Background
Munros returning from a cattle raid in Perthshire were intercepted near Inverness; Mackintosh and Clan Chattan demanded “road collop” — a toll for driving cattle through their land — and a dispute over the amount turned to blows.
The battle
Tradition records a Munro victory. Their leader, John Munro of Foulis, was left for dead, recovered under Lord Lovat’s care, and was ever after called John Baclamhach — “of the maimed hand.”
This is the one to hedge hardest on: the accounts flatly contradict each other. Sir Robert Gordon says the Mackintosh chief was killed; the Mackintosh historian of Kinrara says the chief was absent and only his grandson took part; a later writer suggests losses were roughly even. The traditional “~200 Mackintosh killed” is chronicle, not record. Present who won and who died as genuinely contested.
The site today
A stone monument stands at Clachnaharry (raised 1821), inscribed “CLANCHATTAN” on the side facing their country and “MUNRO” on the other. Not on the HES Inventory of Historic Battlefields.
The clans & people involved
- Clan Munro of Foulis — John Baclamhach.
- Clan Mackintosh / Clan Chattan — leadership and losses contested.
Sources
- Battle of Clachnaharry — Wikipedia; Clan Munro society; conflicting clan histories.
📝 Kevin’s note: a photo of the Clachnaharry clan monument — add from our own visit.
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